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NFL Picks

NFL Picks: Arizona Cardinals Win Totals & Game-by-Game Predictions

Odds makers roll out an 8.5 season win total for the Arizona Cardinals, despite a stellar 2014 campaign. Is Vegas undervaluing the Cardinals on the NFL odds board? Here's our game-by-game preview complete with NFL picks.

Arizona Cardinals 2015 Schedule
The Arizona Cardinals are after an 11-5 SU season that many NFL experts reckon was a case of playing well above their heads. Accordingly, odds makers roll out a modest 8.5 season win total on the NFL odds board, albeit with the OVER favored at -125 and the UNDER matched at -105 (Bovada).

Arizona's impressive 2014 campaign marked the second season in a row that the Cardinals finished in the double-digits. Coach of the year Bruce Arians has led the Cardinals to 21 wins in two campaigns with the best result coming last year. What made their 2014 campaign all the more impressive and earned Bruce Arians his managerial acknowledgement was how they overcame quarterback injuries. It was a veritable quarterback carrousel in Arizona as one by one the starters succumbed to injury. By season's end, Arians had scraped the barrel, but somehow they made it into the postseason regardless. Short lived though it was.

All in all, Bruce Arians and the Cardinals must be confident going into 2015. In the last two seasons, they've averaged 10.5 wins, which puts the projected 2015 season win total of 8.5 to shame. The Cardinals have a favorable week 9 Bye; three Primetime Football games, two of which are at home; and three of the last four games of the season are in Arizona. As well, they have no more than two straight road games and no prolonged trips out East. There's a tough stretch from week 5 to week 13 with six road games, but those are split down the middle by a week 9 bye.

Week 1: vs. New Orleans (home), Sunday, Sept 13 at 4:05 PM
The Arizona Cardinals open the season at home against the New Orleans Saints. While we could wax lyrical about Drew Brees and his abilities and the Saints' offense that can be potent, the reality is that it's still a favorable matchup for the hosts, who have a defense to reckon with. The Saints' defense is nothing to write home about. The Cardinals should open the season with a win.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 1-0

Week 2: vs. Chicago (road), Sunday, Sept 20 at 1 PM
In week 2 NFL betting, the Cardinals descend on the Chicago Bears who are in rebuild mode with new head coach John Fox. Although Fox has a lot of offensive weapons to work with, the quarterback situation is still suspect with Jay Cutler. He's not proven reliable as a starter and one wonders how long Fox will tolerate such inadequacies. Cardinals win on the road.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 2-0

Week 3: vs. San Francisco (home), Sunday, Sept 27 at 4:05 PM
This is going to be a tough matchup to handicap until the season gets underway and we see what Jim Tomsula actually brings to the table. Colin Kaepernick is still a mega threat when he gets going and reports are that he could be slated for a big season after working with Kurt Warner in the offseason. The Niners can't be dismissed out of hand. That said the edge goes to the home team right now. Last season, the Cards beat the Niners 23-14 at home but lost the season closer 20-17 at Levi's Stadium. Playing at home in this game is going to be key.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 3-0

Week 4: vs. St. Louis (home), Sunday, Oct 4 at 4:25 PM
Based on the last season Rams, one assumes this is a winnable game on the NFL schedule for the Cards. They swept the series last year winning 31-14 at home and 12-6 in St. Louis. But such assumptions can prove misleading. The Rams are a team on the rise according to many NFL insiders and experts. The addition of Nick Foles to the roster immediately changes their offensive look, while the defense looks to build on last season. It's a second divisional game in as many weeks and it could prove much tougher to win than most expect. We're giving the edge to the Cards with home turf because they went 7-1 SU at home last season and it might be too early in the season for the made over Rams to get it right through 60 minutes.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 4-0

Week 5: vs. Detroit (road), Sunday, Oct 11 at 4:05 PM
The Cardinals will take on a stout Detroit defense on the road. While Ndomukong Suh is no longer with the Lions, they still figure to be a force to reckon with in the coming season. The Cards edged the Lions last season 14-6 at home, improving to 2-0 after beating the Lions 25-21 (home) in 2013. They've had their number when they had Suh on the roster, they'll look to improve to 3-0 against them here.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 5-0

Week 6: vs. Pittsburgh (road), Sunday, Oct 18 at 1 PM
Heinz Field is going to be a tough place for the Cardinals to win, not to mention it's going to feature a bit of a reunion for Bruce Arians. There's a lot they know about each other and that could play both ways. Big Ben and the Pittsburgh Steelers though should run away with this game, if the mood strikes them. The Cards suffer their first loss of the season.

NFL Picks: Loss
Record 5-1

Week 7: vs. Baltimore (home), Monday, Oct 26 at 8:30 PM
The Cardinals welcome the Baltimore Ravens for Monday Night Football at home. The Ravens are perennial dangerous floaters, not the sort of team to underestimate even when they are on the road. Home advantage and a stout defensive showing by the Cardinals is going to be key to the home win on national television.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 6-1

Week 8: vs. Cleveland (road), Sunday, Nov 1 at 1 PM
It's a short week for the Cardinals, but with a date against the rebuilding Cleveland Browns it shouldn't factor overly. Johnny "Football" Manziel was a disappointment in his unmemorable starts last season and if he's leading the Browns by week 8 NFL betting, the Cards should ride roughshod over them.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 7-1

Week 9: Bye

Week 10: vs. Seattle (road), Sunday, Nov 15 at 8:30 PM
This is the toughest matchup for Bruce Arians to coach and plan for strategically. In the last two campaigns, the Cardinals have gone 1-3 SU against Seattle. The only win during this stretch was a surprise 17-10 win on the road in 2013. Last season, the Seattle Seahawks swept the series winning 19-3 on the road and 35-6 at home. Although both games featured backups, with Stanton in the former and Lindley in the latter. If the Cards have a healthy Carson Palmer, they might fancy their chances. Still, it's an away game and a Sunday Night Football date in Seattle. Two things that will be hard to overcome.

NFL Picks: Loss
Record 7-2

Week 11: vs. Cincinnati (home), Sunday, Nov 22 at 4:05 PM
If Carson Palmer is active at this late stage of the NFL season, this game will feature a reunion with the team that drafted him. The Cincinnati Bengals are a solid team that can be relied upon to win winnable games against lesser opponents. This, however, isn't such where they are concerned and Andy Dalton can struggle against teams that are .500 or better.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 8-2

Week 12: vs. San Francisco (road), Sunday, Nov 29 at 4:05 PM
In week 12 NFL betting, the Cardinals take on the Niners at Levi's Stadium. It's a heated divisional rivalry and an important one for both teams to win. Public betting might tip this game in favor of the Cardinals because of their solid account last season, but they only went 3-3 in divisional play last season and just 4-4 on the road. The Niners play a tough game and win.

NFL Picks: Loss
Record 8-3

Week 13: vs. St. Louis (road), Sunday, Dec 6 at 1 PM
For a second straight week, the Cardinals take on a tough divisional opponent that figures to be better than they were last year. With Nick Foles calling the shots and important acquisitions on both sides of the ball giving the Rams a new look this season, the Rams could give the Cards a run for their money.

NFL Picks: Loss
Record 8-4

Week 14: vs. Minnesota (home), Thursday, Dec 10 at 8:25 PM
The Cardinals take on Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Primetime Football all while enjoying home field advantage. The Vikings have upside but this is going to be a tough game for second-year quarterback Bridgewater to win.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 9-4

Week 15: vs. Philadelphia (road), Sunday, Dec 20 at 1 PM
The high-flying Philadelphia Eagles will be a tough nut to crack on the road in week 15 NFL betting. It's going to be a cold day in Philadelphia to begin with and the Cards will struggle in these unfamiliar conditions. Last year, the Cards got the Eagles in October and at home where they won 24-20. The Eagles get their payback with home field advantage.

NFL Picks: Loss
Record 9-5

Week 16: vs. Green Bay (home), Sunday, Dec 27 at 4:25 PM
Taking on the league's reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers in the final weeks of the NFL season is a tough ask, particularly if both teams have a lot riding on the win. Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are fallible on the road, but they are also clutch when it comes to big games. This is going to be a tough ask for the Cardinals at home, indeed. The Packers were seconds away from going to the Super Bowl last season and they figure to be one of the teams to beat in 2015 Super Bowl Betting markets.

NFL Picks: Loss
Record 9-6

Week 17: vs. Seattle (home), Sunday, Jan 3 at 1 PM
The Cardinals close the season at home against Russell Wilson and the Legion of Boom. The Cards have been able to beat the Seahawks at home, doing so in 2013 when the pair met in week 16 NFL betting. More likely than not this game is going to have postseason implications. With the Cards enjoying home edge they could pull off the upset.

NFL Picks: Win
Record 10-6

NFL Betting Verdict: By our brazen estimations for the Cardinals' 2015 season, we have them performing above .500 on the season. Give or take a few of our predictions it's reasonable to expect the Cardinals to fall anywhere between an 8-8 and 11-5 SU record on the season. We're settling on a 10-6 SU record on our NFL picks though and, thus, cracking the 8.5 season win total projected by Vegas Odds Makers. Take the Over 8.5 at -125 at Bovada.